Soldier Hollow
by Stor-E-Phool
Summary: A mysterious existence...a frightening past...a daunting future... Their fates were intertwined. Their path was clear. Their love plain. Their story written.
1. Chapter 1

**_Soldier Hollow_**

**A/N: Hey guys I've created yet another fanfiction! :D **

_The world was slowly fading... darkness edged in on his eyes... and the world... was consumed by blackness..._

_:...:.:.:...:.:.:...:.:.:...:.:.:...:.:.:...:.:.:...:_

"Boy? Boy, are you okay?" A bell-like voice chirped in the darkness, and he opened his eyes. He was blinded by light and he blinked it away. He refocused his vision on a pair of huge hazel eyes.

"Who... who are you...?" he croaked, and sat up. The ground he sat upon was coarse and sandy, and it grinded against the back of his calves. He clasped a handful of sand in his palm and stared at it. "And... where am I?"

"Welcome... to the Destiny Islands, boy!" He looked up. The eyes he'd woken up to belonged to a wiry girl who looked to be of thirteen years of age. The sea breeze picked up and blew her hip-length white hair across her shoulders. Her smile widened. "I'm Loxus. Nice ta meetcha!" She offered her hand and he took it, standing to his feet.

"And I'm... I'm..." He fumbled through his thoughts to recall his name, but came up blank.

"You dunno who you are?" She flipped her hair from her eyes and squinted at him mischieviously. "I dunno who I am, either. I just made up my name yesterday. You can, too, I guess!"

He smiled. Sounded nice. "Fine, then. My name'll be Sora. Nice to meet you, too!"

And that is how it started. Two strangers with one destiny. The beginning of the end.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Soldier Hollow_**

**A/N: Hey! What a mysterious first chapter! I wonder what Loxus and "Sora" will do next!**

The sun beat down and left a comfortable burning feeling on Loxus's arms and face. It had been three days since she had met... what was his name... Ralla.. no...Sh...Shira...? Sora! Yes, it had been three days since she had met Sora. Three blissful days. The first day they had filled their stomachs with mangos in celebration of meeting eachother, then the second day they had taken a walk aroung the beach, then the third they had just layed around and talked. Now it was the forth day, and she was all the happier. Today they were going to eat coconuts and climb the cliffs on the North side of the island. She smiled.

"Hey, Loxus! Catch!" She glanced up just in time to see the coconut hurtling toward her. She caught it just before it slammed into her face.

"Thanks, boy!" she grinned, "I think we've got enough of em to last for today, now! Let's go!" She grabbed her share of the coconuts at her feet and hopped away from the tree trunk. Sora leaped to the ground from his perch atop the tree and gathered up the rest of the food and followed after her.

"I'll race you, Loxus!" He laughed, and zoomed on ahead of her. His golden hair glinted in the sunlight as he ran, and the smile on his face was so playful that she couldn't help but giggle in amusement as she ran after him.

Finally, they reached the top of the cliffs and lay panting in the long green grass, the sun still shining down on them as it reached the middle of the sky.

"I-- I so, beat, you, b--boy!" Loxas said, grasping for breath. Sora grinned at her, his chest rising and falling just as rapidly as her's was.

"Th--then why are you s--so out of breath, Loxus?" His bright blue eyes twinkled teasingly, and he held his breath as though he wasn't panting for air, too.

She laughed and smacked his shoulder in mock offense. "Whatever! I so beat you!"

There was more laughter and teases as the sun began it's descent toward the horizon, and the sky began to tint itself red and yellow. Sora's eyes glinted prettily in this light, his hair all the more yellow and golden because of it. She smiled as he caught her looking at him. She giggled and looked up at the sky once again.

"The sun's setting, boy. Beautiful, isn't it?"

* * *

Loxus's crystalline hair wafted in the wind, and Sora realized that her hazel eyes looked more green than brown in the light of the setting sun. Her angular features seemed as delicate a flower as it grew dark around them, and the last of the day's light glinted prettily off of her bottom lip. Sora's gut tightened and his head felt light as he leaned forward and touched his mouth to hers. It was good.

"Sora?" She whispered as her lips broke away for a moment, but was cut off when he kissed her again. "Sora?" She said, and he stopped. He looked into her eyes. "What are we?" _What are we?_ "We're not human...." _Human...?_ "we're not heartless..." _Heartless?_ "Were not nobodies..." _What is she talking about...?_ "What are we...?"

_What are we?_

Sora's gut felt hollow. It always did. He never felt "human" or "heartless" and he wasn't "nobody". He just felt like a Hollow being. So maybe that's what they were. Hollow.

"We're Hollows. We're not full like a human. Were not half like a heartless. We aren't nobody." He whispered, wrapping his hand around hers. "We're just...hollow."

She looked up at him, the light in her eyes from earlier all but dissapated. But she smiled. "You're right. Hollows. That's what we are. Forever. Promise?" She held up her pinkie and he linked his with hers. Loxus then let her head relax into his shoulder as they shared another kiss.

The days and nights on Destiny Island blended into eachother, one after another. Life was happy. Nights were passionate. Love was... nonexistant, somehow... Hollow...


	3. Chapter 3

**_Soldier Hollow_**

**A/N: The story is riveting, right? Lol I think I'm choking on all of this fluff. :P Time to mix it up!**

In the darkness of the night, Loxus thought she saw a light. She shook her head. It was a star. Just a star. For a moment it had seemed like two yellow eyes glaring down at her from the cliffs, but it was only a star. She squeezed her lumber closer to her chest and continued toward the beach. No doubt Sora was waiting with the fish they were going to roast for dinner by now. She forced a smile on her face and stepped on to the beach where they had built their firepit.

"Sora?" No answer. She sighed. Things just weren't the same as they had been in the first three days of Sora's arrival. Back then she had been full of life. But now... after two months... everything felt pointless and... well, Hollow.

Something had to change. Something had to move... needed to happen.

"Loxus...?" Said a voice behind her, and she turned.

"Sora...? Your voice... it's--" she gasped. Before her was not Sora, but a tall man with crimson hair and soulless eyes. On his face was a crooked smirk and in his hand were two circular, deadly-looking weapons. "Who are you?" she whispered in fear, dropping her fire wood.

"A friend, I suppose." The man stepped forward, and grabbed her wrist roughly. He reached forward and held his hand out as if grabbing something. Suddenly, the wind blew around them, lifting Loxus's long hair, and a blackness opened up before them. Fear swept over her as the man began to drag her toward the hole in reality.

"W-wait! Stop! Sora, help me!" She exclaimed, kicking and screaming at this stranger in protest, "SORA!!!" The man's grip ceased to be, and she realized that he was now on the ground, holding his, now, bloody nose. Sora stood above the man, eyes, usually soft, now fierce with anger.

"Axel." Sora growled, voice almost as fierce as his eyes. The man stood, eyes, which should have been angry, were bright with excitement.

"Roxas!" The man replied, "I've finally found you. Should've known you'd be hiding here... outside of time. Just didn't know _she'd_be here, too." He gestured toward Loxus and smirked. Loxus tensed. Someone knew of her? Someone knew who she was? There were people other than Sora?

"Who is this, Sora?" she asked, voice wavering. The man let out a boisterous laugh that scared her to hide behind Sora's back.

"Sora? So THAT'S what you're going by now, Roxas? Ha!" Axel's face wrinkled with amusement. "How's that, buddy?" Sora's eyes narrowed and Loxus realized that his whole body was tensed so much that she could count the veins in his arms and neck. He raised his hand in the same way Axel had to open the spinning vortex, and light erupted from his palm and into Axel's chest. The man fell to his knee and paused there for a moment, gasping. Agony shone in his eyes as he lifted his gaze back to Sora's. "I-- I think I...just struck a nerve..." He clutched his chest and held himself up with one arm in an attempt to stay conscious. Sora kicked it from underneath him, and Axel collapsed into a sandy cloud of dust. Knocked out.

Loxus's lip quivered and she looked up into Sora's-- wait, no, Roxas's?-- face. What was there shocked her. A look of delirious blood lust. She stepped away from him. "S-Sora?" For a moment he just looked on as if he didn't hear her, but soon recognition passed over his face and he looked away from the red headed stranger. He glanced at Loxus and nodded.

"Y-yeah. I was just... I don't know. Let's just get him out of here." He lifted the man onto his shoulder and heaved him into the hole that was still swirling before them. He dissapeared into blackness, and the hole became smaller and smaller until Loxus couldn't even see it. The crisis was over. They were safe. All was calm and good.

"Sora, what was that?" She sat in the sand, ready for a long story. He sat down, too. "_Who_ was that?"

"His name's Axel, and he's a bad guy. He wants to take me away." He said, reaching for the firewood she had dropped before. Loxus gasped.

"But he _can't_! He just can't!"

"You're right," he answered, eyes dark with some intent that Loxus couldn't understand, "...'cause I won't let him. He can't beat me. Not now... Not ever."

Promises to protect eachother were traded then. Dark promises of revenge on whomever saw fit to rip them apart. Loving promises of children and future generations. Fiddlefaddle talk... all of it, like the souls making them, Hollow.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Soldier Hollow_**

**A/N: Whoo! I think this is a record. Four chapters in two days? Am I amazing or what?! Lol. Well, I realize that this story is kind of weird, but I thought I might get a little smidgeon of a review! Remember that, to a writer, reviews are like money; you can never get enough! So I encourage you to take the time to click the little button down there and type a little message to me about how I could make the story/writing a little bit better!**

Destiny Island felt like a cold, empty place. The sun no longer showered it's warmth upon it's inhabitants, and the waters of the ocean held a skin-deep cheeriness in the waves. Loxus hugged her knees to her chest. Things had become strained between Sora-- or was it Roxas?-- and her. Not even pleasurable touches could kindle a fire between their relationship now. It had been more than six months since the Axel incident, and Sora had began to become more and more cold and distant to her. She found that every time she looked at him all she could see was the image of the blood lust in his eyes that terrifying night. She was beginning to hate him, and she was afraid of that feeling.

She just wanted to leave the island. That was that. There was nothing more to it. She didn't want to be with Sora any longer. How had that man done it? Opened that vortex which had allowed him his escape? Loxus lifted her hand and tensed. Nothing happened. She stood and wandered to the fire pit where it had all happened, trying to remember just how he had done it. She remembered his extending his hand as if grabbing something. She remembered the wind and the darkness that ensued. The look of venomous hate Axel had held on his face. Maybe that was what she needed. So she thought about Sora. About how she couldn't even look at his face anymore lest she remember the evil in him he revealed to her six months ago in the dead of night.

The air around her filled with energy. She smelled electricity around her, and what looked like heat waves swirled in a circle before her. She was doing it! She was doing it! She was about to escape! Joy surged in her, pushing away every other thought.

Immediately the heat waves stopped and reality folded in again over the almost-vortex. Loxus sighed with dissappointment.

"Only dark thoughts power darkness, Loxus."

Loxus swerved around. She knew that voice! "Axel!" she gasped, eyes wide with fear. If Sora knew he was here he surely would not have mercy this time. The bloodlust would return. So would her emptiness and lonliness.

"You trying to get outta here, missy?" his emerald eyes shone with excitement yet again. "I can help with that if, well," He offered her his gloved hand, "if you'll _trust_ me this time." He grinned crookedly, but it was not as menacing an expression as it had seemed to be at their first meeting. Loxas extended her hand, too, and his hand closed around hers. He led her to his hole in reality and let her step into the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Soldier Hollow_**

**A/N: Wow that last chapter was so short! It took, like, ten minutes to write! :D Aren't I SOOO talented? Lol I'm just kidding. Anywho. I think this calls for some tiki punch and a disclaimer! Whoo! **

**I's gots nos rights twos this's game's, and's I's donn's wann's itzzzzzzz........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Well that was a pretty interesting disclaimer. :P Weird.**

The darkness was so thick that Loxus thought she could feel it on her tongue. The air was thicker in the darkness, and so dry that it made her long for water from the fall on the Island. She felt a heavy weight resting on her shoulders and realized that they were two hands that had to belong to Axel. The darkness unfolded before her as infinite as the sky and as infinitesimal as a grain of sand. Nothing and everything was sprawled out in this place of darkness, but it all ended in an instant as light broke through in the distance and grew bigger and bigger until she was engulfed in light.

Her eyes adjusted. Had that time in the darkness only been a moment? It felt like an eternity of solitary existence and nothingness. It was peaceful, somehow. She looked around her and gasped. Had they not gone anywhere? For she stood where she had been only a moment before: the Southern beach of Destiny Island. She looked up at Axel in anger. "We're still here, Axel. We haven't left." The red head smirked and patted her shoulder.

"Why, sure we have. Just look around. This is _not_that fortress of solitude that you and our friend Roxas built together. _Trust_me." He chuckled and began to walk away, leaving Loxus on the beach alone. She sighed. There was no hope left if Axel wasn't going to help her get away. She kicked a piece of driftwood back into the ocean and headed toward the fall. The taste of darkness still tainted her tongue, after all.

As she climbed the steep slope toward the water, she thought she heard laughter. The laughter of children. She shook her head. It was just the Island's monkeys making a ruckus. She was sure of it. But as she neared the top, she froze. For three children met her eyes, playing with a blue and white bouncing ball and running. Each looked to be five years of age and smiles adorned their faces. Loxus held her hand to her mouth, trying not to scream. How had they gotten there?

"Told ya."

Loxus turned around. Axel was leaning against a palm tree, an ice cream bar jutting from his mouth and a satisfied expression on his face.

"You didn't believe me, did you." a mischievous smile crossed his face. "Nothing is what it seems, missy. Nothin'." He walked a circle around her, seeming to size her up. "So. This is what your precious Island really is..." He stopped circling and looked her in the eye. "...Are you curious to know what _you_ really are?"

Loxus held his gaze. "I'm a Hollow." she said proudly, and Axel seemed surprised.

"You're a _what_?"

"Sora says we're Hollows. 'Cause we're not full like a human, not half like a heartless, and we're not nothing. So we're Hollows." Her voice was feeling stronger and more confident. _She_ had the upper hand. _She_ was winning this conversation. _She_ was the powerful one!

Axel laughed. "Is _that_ what he told you? That you're hollow? That you don't _feel_ anything, just like him?" He laughed again. Somehow he seemed angry in his laughter. "That's just what he wants to _think_. He just resents being a _Nobody. _You're no Hollow. You're like me. Part of Organization XIII. Member Zero. Soul? Don't you get it? Don't you remember?"

Everything was going over her head. Nothing was making sense except for that; _nothing_. Truely, that had to be what she was! The title of "Nobody"seemed to settle well with her spirit, much unlike "Hollow" had. That name had always disturbed her somehow. Deep in her heart she had known that it wasn't true. That, that day months before, up on the cliffs, Sora--Roxas-- had lied to her.

"Who am I, Axel? Who?"

"You're the same as before. As you've always been. You're Loxus."


End file.
